Great Paintings Explained: Crucifixion of St. Peter by Caravaggio

The death of a saint told in earthy detail

Crucifixion of St. Peter (c.1601) by Caravaggio. Oil on canvas. 230 × 175 cm. Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy. Image source Wikimedia Commons

There are so many things to admire about the paintings of Caravaggio. Primary among them is the originality of his compositions.

Take this painting, Crucifixion of St. Peter, made around 1601. The calm yellow light that falls across this image illuminates a remarkably arranged scene.

Three men labour to raise the wooden cross of a crucifixion. Everything about this picture speaks of the arduous, earthy task of erecting the cross. The moment is up-close and palpable. In a few minutes the task will be complete and Saint Peter — one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ — will be left to die.

Compositional flow of ‘Crucifixion of St. Peter’ (c.1601) by Caravaggio. Oil on canvas. 230 × 175 cm. Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy. Image source Wikimedia Commons. Edited by author.

Despite the stark barbarity of the moment, there is beauty in the painting. Notice how the image is constructed around the posture of the labourer at the rear as he arches his back to pull the rope, creating a line of light in the shape of an “S” that flows through the whole picture, right down to the heel of the man crouched on the ground.